Port Louis, 26 January 2021 – “The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the global economy and access to vaccines is a key part of the journey to not only health but also economic recovery” says Dr. Padayachy, Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development. The Republic of Mauritius has managed to rapidly contain the local transmission through an efficient trace and detect program, resulting in no locally transmitted COVID-19 cases from April to October 2020. “Now is the time to further strengthen our position as a COVID safe destination” he added.

The Government of Mauritius has entered into Commitment Purchase Agreement with the GAVI Alliance - a global health partnership of public and private sector organizations dedicated to “immunisation for all” - to provide 507,200 doses of COVID-19 vaccines for a total amount of USD 5,350,960 through the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) facility. “Coordinated by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the WHO, COVAX will achieve this by acting as a platform that will support the research, development and manufacturing of a wide range of COVID-19 vaccine candidates, and negotiate their pricing” notes their website.

Through the COVID PREP project, “UNDP has been assisting Mauritius in its fight against COVID-19 and supporting the reopening of the country borders. We have contributed towards protective equipment, supported the construction of a flu clinic; and, are supporting the installation of a state of art Laboratory Information Management System” states Amanda K Serumaga UNDP Resident Representative.

“To further support the Government of Mauritius COVID-19 response, the UNDP in Mauritius has now contributed a total of USD 2 million to the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines for the benefit of the Mauritian population through the COVAX facility” she added

As noted by GAVI for a “number of higher-income self-financing countries that have no bilateral deals with manufacturers, COVAX is quite literally a lifeline and the only viable way in which their citizens will get access to COVID-19 vaccines.” The UNDP Mauritius Country Office remains committed to supporting the Government of Mauritius in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and the protection of Mauritian people.

Government of Mauritius

Financial Secretary

Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Development

Ground Floor, Old Government House, Port Louis

Contact: fssecretariat@govmu.org, +230 260 1300

UNDP

For more information and media interviews, contact: Stéphane Bellerose: stephane.bellerose@undp.org; + 230 57 66 24 34

ABOUT UNDP: UNDP partners with people at all levels of society to help build nations that can withstand crisis, and drive and sustain the kind of growth that improves the quality of life for everyone. On the ground in some 177 countries and territories, we offer a global perspective and local insight to help empower lives and build resilient nations.